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Leatho Shellhound
Leatho Shellhound was a male outlaw sea otter of the otterclans on Green Isle. A strong, agile and ferocious beast, he was the last of the Shellhounds. Among the outlaws and the otterslaves under Riggu Felis and his Feral-Cat army of Green Isle, Leatho was a legendary figure, defiant and ruthless in the face of the true enemy. To the cats, Leatho was a creature to be both loathed and feared. Leatho saved Brantalis Skyfurrow from death when he was struck in the neck from an arrow shot from the catguards (Weilmark Scaut among them), and bound the arrow wound in the goose's neck with a poultice of mud and wild radish leaves. When Chab, Whulky and their families were tied beneath the pier as punishment by the cats, Leatho gathered a group of otters and coordinated a plan for their rescue. While Banya Streamdog and Lorgo Galedeep freed them, Leatho and his friends created a diversion. With Leatho's cunning and conviction, the rescue was successful. Following this event, Leatho was rightfully praised as a hero among the outlaws. Back at the refuge cave on the coast, Ould Zillo the Bard created a ballad in honor of the courageous otter and the events. Although he was charmed by this spirit and appreciation, Leatho grimly announced the truth of the situation: Riggu Felis would want revenge, and a plan of defense had to be formulated until they could unite under the Otterqueen, the High Rhulain (who turned out to be the Redwaller Tiria Wildlough). He was also determined to free the otterslaves that were still imprisoned at the feral cat Fortress. When Riggu Felis -- along with Scaut and Scorecat Fleng -- took his army to confront the outlaws, Leatho was on the front lines, making plans with Kolun Galedeep and Banya. The otters tried to lead Fleng and his catguards inland, away from their families on the coast. However, Riggu Felis saw right through this ploy, and instead led the rest of the army down the coast. Leatho soon realized the truth of the wildcat's actions, and rallying his otters, led the panicked troupe towards their homes and families. When they got there, they realized that Deedero Galedeep and Zillo had predicted such an event and abandoned their cave. Leatho was at a loss for how to protect his clans next. Ould Zillo told him about Holt Summerdell, and with no other option in sight, Leatho agreed. During his first sleep in the caverns at their new home, Leatho dreamed of Martin the Warrior, who gave him a cryptic message about the slaves still inside the wildcat's fortress. The next day while Leatho was gathering produce with Kolun, he told him he must soon be "followin' a dream". Leatho headed off to the fortress, and Kolun and Banya joined him. When the three reached the fortress, Leatho ran around to the slave compound, and talked to Runka Streamdog and Memsy. He wanted the slaves to be prepared to be freed in about four nights. However, when he dropped from the wall of the pens, he fell into the clever, waiting paws of Riggu Felis and his guards. The wildcat knocked the aggressive sea otter unconscious with one heavy blow of the butt of his war axe. Riggu Felis tied Leatho inside a wooden cage that was hanging from a high fortress tower. His demands were that if the clans did not surrender completely to him, the Shellhound would be left to wither and die. When Banya and Memsy brought this news back to Holt Summerdell, the clans rose up in anger and finally headed off to war with the cats. Meanwhile, Leatho was starving and frying in the relentless sun. When Lady Kaltag tried to spear him through the window, accusing the otter for Jeefra's death, she unknowingly severed one of his bonds. Exhausted and dehydrated, the outlaw was free, but still trapped inside his cage. Pandion Piketalon, the osprey, came to the otter and helped him to break open the ceiling of the cage. He clambered into the fortress window. However, unable to escape through the fortress, Leatho barricaded himself in the high chamber, making bloodcurdling threats to the cats on the other side of the door. While the clans -- along with the newly arrived Long Patrol and Tiria -- were battling with the cats of the fortress, the insane Lady Kaltag set the place on fire, in an attempt to kill Leatho who was still inside the high chamber. Made of wood, the place burst into flames. On orders from Tiria, both Brantalis and Pandion soared to the window and carried Leatho down into the lake. The defeat of Riggu Felis and the cats came soon after. During a victory feast, Tiria was informed by Brantalis of Brinty's death back at Redwall Abbey. Leatho, seeing her overwhelming grief, suggested an idea to help the young ottermaid in mourning. He gave her a small wooden figurine to represent Brinty, which she then tied up with flowers and tossed into the lake. Leatho then chanted an ancient Green Isle poem, a tribute to the dead. Tiria was consoled, and became a good friend to the Shellhound. Leatho helped the otters and the hares in final battle with Pitru and the remaining catguards. Following this, he returned to Holt Summerdell and formed the Green Clan Regiment along with Kolun and the other clan leaders. His job was to protect the shores of Green Isle from enduring such violence and vermin tyranny ever again. Media *'Audio VA': Liam Tobin Category:Heroes Category:Otters Category:High Rhulain Characters Category:Males Category:Characters